Police: Infant, grandfather seriously hurt in Oceanside hit-and-run

OCEANSIDE  A hit-and-run accident in Oceanside on Monday morning has left an 18-month-old boy in critical condition and his 50-year-old grandfather seriously hurt, police said.

Police have arrested a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit and run, both felonies, police Lt. Leonard Mata said. The teen was taken to juvenile hall.

Police said the grandfather was pushing the infant in a stroller near Lake Boulevard and Mira Monte Drive at 9:21 a.m. when they were struck by a Chevrolet SUV.

The SUV then crashed into a nearby house, but the home's occupant was not hurt, Mata said.

The infant was taken to Rady Children's Hospital in critical condition, and the grandfather was transported to another hospital with serious injuries, Mata said.

Shortly before the accident, police were called to Oak Riparian Park to check on a disturbance among a group of teens in an SUV.

An Oceanside police officer saw the SUV traveling west on Lake Boulevard and made a U-turn to investigate, police said. The vehicle sped off, and by the time the officer caught up to the SUV it had already struck the victims and the house.

The three passengers in the SUV ran away after the crash, but police later found and interviewed two of them. Police are trying to identify the remaining passenger.

Mata said it appears the collision occurred when the driver lost control of the SUV as he attempted to turn right into a private driveway at an unsafe speed.